A Malasian VTEC Adventure

Honda has gained quite a following worldwide for their high-revving VTEC engines, so it was no surprise for Ron Celestine of SpeedHunters to see some screaming Honda 4-cylinder motors in action on his recent trip to Sepang International Circuit for an Asian Classic Car Challenge event. Although there were multiple cars lapping the 3.45-mile circuit, Ron got up close with two vehicles in particular that were repping Honda power. In many ways, these two cars represent how VTEC power is typically a good decision whether it was originally fitted to a car or not.

Crazy Corolla AE86

The Toyota Corolla AE86 was a legendary car in its time (and still has quite the following today) for its lightweight, well-balanced chassis, and ease of accepting modifications all at an affordable price. Corollas such as this notchback Levin are still carving it up at racetracks around the world, which is a testament to its capability and reliability. That said, this AE86 is not powered by its original 4A-GE engine, but by something with a bit more punch...

Fire-Breathing F20C

The current owners of the Levin apparently bought the car in a mechanically rough condition, but the body was well-kept which allowed them to build a racer with FIA Group A specs in mind. The engine of choice was a Honda F20C plucked out of an early S2000. As can be seen, the install is quite clean with intake and exhaust modifications to squeeze the most out of the little 2.0L engine. A whole host of other steering, suspension, interior, and brake modifications have been completed on the Levin that definitely turns some heads both on and off the track.

The Everlasting EK9

Sitting a ways further down the paddock was an eye-catching yellow EK9 Civic Type-R. In the late 90's, the Civic Type R was quite the effort put on by Honda to create a car that was suitable for the street, but would also be highly capable at the track in stock form. Features such as a rigid seam-welded chassis, close-ratio gearing, a limited-slip differential, and various weight reduction efforts made for a car that was reliable while also being a hoot to drive.

A Vivid VTEC Showing

While the car was spec'd-up in various areas from the factory, the most notable item was the hand-ported B16B engine that was still intact in this Civic. The little B16B boasts one of the highest horsepower-per-liter ratios of all time for a factory equipped engine, but the owner of this car has made a few extra modifications via intake, exhaust, and cooling to extract a bit more performance. Spoon Sports was undoubtedly used as inspiration for the EK9 Type R with its blue engine bay and supporting mods like the oversized brake kit, suspension, and various interior touches. Overall, cars like these prove that the VTEC following is still alive and well in the wide world of motorsport.